Beginner

Suited for a wide range of uses, Level 1 Beginner telescopes are simple to operate and set up. Some initial assembly may be required. Very good optical and mechanical quality. Great for families, young people, and folks who don't want to mess with equipment but just want to take a look. Any of these scopes will show you countless lunar craters, Saturn's rings and a myriad of star clusters and nebulas! Referring to the manual is recommended.

Want to get the kids off the couch doing something besides staring at the TV, computer or smartphone? Get youngsters and the whole family outside for astronomical adventures from the comfort of your own backyard with this great starter telescope! The kid-friendly Orion StarBlast 70mm Travel Refractor is a powerful, yet compact telescope that is perfect for budding astronomers and their families.

This no-nonsense refractor telescope is easy to use, and the spectacular views it provides of the Moon's cratered surface and amazing sights like Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons will amaze the whole family night after night. You can also use the StarBlast 70mm during the day to look at scenery and wildlife thanks to its upright, correct-image. The StarBlast 70mm AZ Refractor comes with a sturdy, yet lightweight, altazimuth mount that provides stable up/down (altitude) and left/right (azimuth) motion.

You also get a lot of great accessories with the StarBlast 70mm. Let's check out each one:

The StarBlast 70mm Travel Refractor includes a 45° correct-image diagonal that provides views correctly oriented left-to-right and right-side-up so it's easy to aim at objects both at night and during the day. This convenient diagonal makes it easy to track moving birds and wildlife during the day, and also track planets and the Moon at night since it gives you a view that matches your regular vision.

Two included eyepieces provide a variety of magnifications right out of the box.

An included 25mm eyepiece provides a 20-power image in the StarBlast 70mm, and a shorter 10mm focal length eyepiece is also included for more powerful 50x views. Using both eyepieces is a great way to learn about magnification, and helps you enjoy interesting sights in the sky. Kids can start observing with the lower-power eyepiece to scan the skies easily, and then boost power up to 50x with the 10mm eyepiece for closer looks.

The 5x24 finder scope has a 24mm lens in the front that collects light, and it has 5-power magnification so you can aim the telescope easily. After following a simple alignment procedure that parents can help with, kids can use the 5x24 finder scope to aim the StarBlast 70mm telescope at interesting objects like the Moon and stars at night, and at daytime targets like birds, boats on water, and scenery.

Included MoonMap 260 lets you learn the names of craters and other features on the Moon.

With locations and names of over 260 features on the Moon such as craters, mountains, valleys, "seas" and more, the included Orion MoonMap 260 is a great tool for beginning astronomers. It will even show you where various spacecraft have landed on the Moon's surface! Try a fun family activity of looking at the Moon through the StarBlast 70mm Travel Refractor, then find the areas you see through the telescope on the MoonMap 260 to discover their official names.

A power-boosting 2x Barlow lens is included to double your magnification options.

The well-equipped StarBlast 70mm Travel Refractor Telescope also includes a 2x Barlow lens to double the power of each included eyepiece and any other 1.25" eyepieces you get down the road. Insert the 25mm eyepiece into the 2x Barlow to achieve 40-power magnification compared to 20-power, and use the Barlow with the 10mm eyepiece to boost magnification from 50x all the way to 100x for close-up views of starry skies.

Learn about the night sky with the included Starry Night Special Edition software.

Budding backyard astronomers and families starting out in the hobby of stargazing can learn a ton of useful information with the free Special Edition Starry Night software that comes with the telescope. You can use the software to see what stars, constellations, planets, and other cosmic objects will be visible on any day and at any time. This makes it fun and easy to plan family stargazing sessions since you'll know ahead of time which objects will be visible. Requires PC running Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8. Requires Macintosh running OS X 10.4 or higher.

The pleasantly portable StarBlast 70mm is just over 2 feet long and weighs just 7 lbs., so it's easy for the junior astronomer of the family to setup for backyard astronomical adventures. Get one today and start exploring the night sky!

Warranty

Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. For complete warranty details contact us at 800-676-1343.

Warning

Please note this product is compliant with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and is intended for children 9 years of age and older.

User level

Level 1 Beginner - Suited for a wide range of uses, these telescopes are simple to operate and set up. Some initial assembly may be required. Very good optical and mechanical quality. Great for families, young people, and folks who don't want to mess with equipment but just want to take a look. Any of these scopes will show you countless lunar craters, Saturn's rings and a myriad of star clusters and nebulas! Referring to the manual is recommended.

Level 2 Intermediate - These scopes offer higher performance and more advanced features than Level 1: Beginner models. They typically take a bit longer to learn and need some set-up or adjustments. But anyone with the slightest technical bent will have no problem getting familiar with these models. Referring to the manual is recommended.

Level 3 Advanced - These scopes provide the best performance but may require more skill to master and appreciate. They have exceptionally fine optics and mechanics. Some are easy to use but are but on the large or heavy side. Some are intended for specialized uses. These scopes will appeal to the more technically inclined. Referring to the manual is highly recommended.

Level 4 Expert - Expert telescopes offer uncompromising optical and mechanical quality for the most demanding amateur astronomer. They may be technically involved or designed for specialized use, such as astrophotography or detailed deep sky observation. They carry a premium price, but are designed to provide the ultimate performance in the field. Referring to the manual is highly recommended.

Optical design

Reflector telescopes use a pair of large and small mirrors to direct incoming light to the eyepiece.
Refractor telescopes refract, or "bend" incoming light to a focus by means of an objective lens.
Cassegrain telescopes, such as Maksutov-Cassegrains, "fold" incoming light using two mirrors and a front "corrector" lens.

Optical diameter

For telescopes, the optical diameter (also known as aperture) is the size of a telescope's main light-collecting lens or primary mirror, measured in millimeters or inches. Telescopes with larger optical diameters collect more light, which leads to an increase in brightness and image resolution compared to smaller instruments.

For binoculars, the optical diameter (also known as objective lens diameter) is the size of each of the front-facing objective lenses of a binocular measured in millimeters. Binoculars with larger objective lenses collect more light, which increases image resolution and brightness. Binoculars with larger objective lenses are recommended for low light situations, and binoculars with at least 50mm or larger objective lenses are recommended for pleasing astronomical observations at night.

Focal length

The distance from the center of a curved mirror or lens at which parallel light rays converge to a single point. The focal length is an inherent specification of a mirror or lens and is one of the factors in determining resultant magnification for a telescope (along with the focal length of the eyepiece being used).

Focal ratio

The focal ratio of an optical system is the ratio of a telescope's focal length to its aperture. Short focal ratios (f/5, f/4.5) produce wide fields of view and small image scales, while long focal lengths produce narrower fields of views and larger image scales.

Coatings

Binocular lenses and prisms are often coated with anti-reflective material to minimize light loss as light travels through the multiple optical surfaces of a typical binocular. Coatings help maximize the amount of light transmitted through each glass surface of a binocular, so as much light as possible reaches the observer's eyes to provide a bright and sharp image.

Good lenses are at least "fully coated," with a single layer of magnesium fluoride coating applied to each air-to-glass lens surface. Multiple layers of coatings are even more effective; the term "multi-coated" means one or more air-to-glass lens surface has multiple coatings. "Fully multi-coated" optics are even better, meaning all lens surfaces have multiple layers of anti-reflective coatings applied for maximum light transmission and optimal image quality.

Glass material

Refractors use glass lenses to focus the light, and the glass material plays an important role in the quality of the resulting image. Standard achromatic refractors routinely use Crown and Flint for the two elements, but more expensive apochromatic refractors can use ED (extra low dispersion) glass for one or more of the lenses. Reflector mirrors are made from glass with different levels of thermal expansion. Standard mirrors are made from material such as Soda-Lime Plate glass and BK-7 glass. Glass with Pyrex or other low thermal expansion material will not change shape as dramatically during the cool-down period, resulting in more stable images during this period.

Resolving power

The theoretical resolving power of a telescope can be calculated with the following formula: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 4.56 divided by aperture of telescope (in inches). In metric units, this is: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 116 divided by aperture of telescope (in millimeters). Note that the formula is independent of the telescope type or model, and is based only upon the aperture of the telescope. So the larger the telescope's aperture, the more it is capable of resolving. This is important to keep in mind when observing astronomical objects which require high resolution for best viewing, such as planets and double stars. However, it is usually atmospheric seeing conditions (not the telescope) which limits the actual resolving power on a given night; rarely is resolution less than one arc-second possible from even the best viewing locations on Earth.

Lowest useful magnification

Lowest useful magnification is the power at which the exit pupil becomes 7mm in diameter. Powers below this can still be reached with the telescope to give wider fields of view, but the image no longer becomes brighter at a lower power. This is due to the fact that the exit pupil of the telescope (the beam of light exiting the eyepiece) is now larger than the average person's dark adapted pupil, and no more light can fit into the eye.

Limiting stellar magnitude

Astro-imaging capability

The astro-photographic capability of the telescope is based on the style, stability, and accuracy of the mount and tripod. Telescopes on either very lightweight mounts or non tracking mounts (such as Dobsonians) are capable of only very short exposures such as lunar photographs. If a motor drive is attached to an equatorial mount, even a small lightweight mount is capable of capturing some planetary detail. Larger EQ mounts that utilize very precise tracking and excellent stability are capable of longer exposure deep-sky photography.

Height range of mount

The height range specification is a measure of the tripod itself - not the eyepiece height. Since telescopes come in all shapes and sizes, the eyepiece height will vary, even when using the same tripod. For an EQ tripod the mount is set up so the counterweight shaft is horizontal, and then the height is measured from the ground to the center of the mounting plate.

Warranty

This warranty gives you specific legal rights. It is not intended to remove or restrict your other legal rights under applicable local consumer law; your state or national statutory consumer rights governing the sale of consumer goods remain fully applicable.

Orders received by 1pm Eastern Time for in-stock items ship the same business day. Orders received after 1pm will ship the next business day. When an item is not in-stock we will ship it as soon as it becomes available. Typically in-stock items will ship first and backordered items will follow as soon as they are available. You have the option in check out to request that your order ship complete, if you'd prefer.

Having trouble viewing details on the Moons surface? This neutral-density eyepiece filter reduces glare so you can see more detail and surface features. The 1.25" Orion 13% Transmission Moon Filter is especially useful with large aperture telescopes.

Need for a good way to start identifying constellations? The Orion Star Target Planisphere is the perfect telescope accessory! Designed for 30-50 deg North latitude and includes simple instructions and viewing tips. Just dial in the date and time!

The affordable MoonMap 260 is a must-have for any backyard astronomer. The laminated map includes both a correct and reversed view of the Moon and identifies over 260 popular lunar features including craters, valleys, mountain ranges, and more!

Orion Sirius Plossl eyepieces are ideal for any type of telescope, refractor, reflector, or catadioptic. They offer a 52° field with clean, high-contrast images. All air-to-glass surfaces are fully coated for improved light transmission.

The Orion RedBeam Mini LED Flashlight is an essential astronomy accessory for reading star maps or looking inside your accessory case at night. It has an aluminum housing, rubber ON/OFF switch and includes batteries and key ring.

Give your starter telescope a power boost - and save - with the affordable 3.6mm and 6.3mm Set of Orion E-Series Beginner Telescope Eyepieces! This power-packed set of two eyepieces will help you get up-close looks without emptying your wallet.

The Orion LensPen Mini Pro Cleaning Tool is specially designed to clean any lens surface. It has a retractable natural hair brush for large particles on one end and a flexible cleaning tip equipped with chamois pad for smudges on the other end.

For cleaning the lenses in your telescope or binocular, the Orion Microfiber Optics Cleaning Cloth lifts dirt, fingerprints, water and oil from surface without scratching, streaking or smearing delicate lens surfaces. The cloth is machine washable.

Have you ever tried to point out an object in the sky, only to realize everyone around you isn't sure where you're pointing? The Orion SkyLine Deluxe Green Laser Pointer emits a thin beam of light that looks like it touches the star you point at!

At Orion, we are committed to sharing our knowledge and passion for astronomy and astrophotography with the amateur astronomy community. Visit the Orion Community Center for in-depth information on telescopes, binoculars, and astrophotography. You can find astrophotography "how to" tips and share your best astronomy pictures here. Submit astronomy articles, events, and reviews, and even become a featured Orion customer!